252 Signal of Life

Genre: Action

Language: Japanese

Director: Nobuo Mizuta

Cast: Ito Hideaki (Umizaru), Uchino Masaaki, Takayuki Yamada (Crows: Episode 0), Yu Kashii (Death Note)

Runtime: 128 minutes

Plot:

A few weeks after a gigantic earthquake struck Tokyo, the temperature of the Pacific Ocean suddenly increased and caused a tremendous typhoon! The largest typhoon ever in Japan heads towards Tokyo with devastating force. The tidal wave generated by the typhoon covers the coastal city area with water. The Tokyo Fire Department dispatches its elite rescue unit, Hyper Rescue, and their sonar picks up a signal from underwater. Beneath the ground, in one devastated subway station, there is someone sending out a code which is known to rescuers only: 252 252 "We have survivors!In the extreme situation, a rescue party tries to save the survivors at the risk of their own lives. In the face of death, a daring rescue operation is to be carried out, intersecting with many dramas of family, love, pride, and human life.

Watched the movie on 25 April night @ GV Vivo with Sylvia.

The movie depicts the endeavors of humans in the extreme conditions in the aftermath of a disaster. For a country like Japan whose geographical location is pruned to the natural disasters, I can't helped but to feel relieved that I don't have to go through these turmoils.

The Tsunami scenes for the movie made huge impact. I could imagine what happened to Phuket a few years ago after seeing those scenes. For the Tokyo flood sequence, the tremendous amounts of water were poured onto the sets to create a flash flood, achieving the horror of a flood that can't be depicted with the CG. CG was used in the scenes of tidal waves swallowing up the Tokyo bay area to actualize the awesome force of nature. Impressive!

Ito Hideaki has became the spokesman for all uniform occupation, thus when he wore a suit and worked in a car showroom, it just didn't feel right. He looked extremely convincing in no matter what kind of uniform. Maybe he can try to be a postman, technician, mechanic, or even a plumber in his next project.

However, I felt the movie was too safe and draggy. I wasn't moved in terms of emotion, compared to Knowing, which 252 - Signal of life failed to do so. I thought if the main man was to sacrifice instead of him walking out steadily, carrying his ex-colleague, seem more realistic. It would probably earned more tears from the audience.

ah-deng says: 3 / 5 It is fate that brings one disaster, it is destiny that bring one hero to rescue.